ireland



S. IRELAND SHORTHAND MACHINE.-

APPLICATION FILED DEC.8.1917.

Patented Oct. 7, 191

W. S. IRELAND.

A SHORTHAND MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC.8. I9I7 '1.318,823. Patented 0cm. 7,1919.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. HEY/ZI j IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII uuuuuuuuumlnuuuuuuuuuuum IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITI man sans ra orare.

WARD S. IRELAN'D, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL SHORTHAND MACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SHORTHAN'D-MACHINE.

.Application led December 8, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WARD S. IRELAND, a citizen of the United States of America, a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shorthand-Machines, of which the following is a f ull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifica-tion.

My invention relates to improvements 1n shorthand machines, and more particularly to certain combinations of elements associated directly with the key levers. The main objectof the invention is to provide a strong, simple and inexpensive means for supporting, guiding, alining and bracing or reinforcing the key levers. `More specically stated, an object is to produce a very simple and 'highly efficient means for s upporting and guiding simple and eliclent printing elements which form part pf very simple key levers, thereby simphfylng the key controlled elements of the machine.

Figure I is a longitudinal section of aV shorthand machine .constructed in accord' ance with my invention.

Fig. II is a plan view of the key lever guide. l

Fig. III is a perspective view, partly in section, illustrating one of the key levers, the key lever guideV and the universal bar.

-, ously to printa combination of characters,

Fig. IV is a detail view of the paper feeding roll.

Fig. V is a side elevation, partly in section, on the line V-V, 'F ig. IV, showing the universal bar and the paper feeding device.

Fig. VI is a. section on line VI-VI, Fig. V.

The strip of paper l passes from a supply roll 2, under a rod 3, thence upwardly and over a paper feeding roll 4, downwardly through an inclined passageway 5, and then rearwardly to a discharge opening at the Patented Oct. "Z, 1919.

serial No. 206,183.

are arranged above and seatedv on a pivot rod 14, and t-he lower edge of each key lever has a recess 15 for the reception of said pivot rod. rI'he key levers are thus loosely interlocked with and pivotally supported by the rod 14. A. retaining bar or stop bar 16, extending across the upperedges of the front lever arms 10, prevents the key levers from being accidentally lifted and disengaged from the pivot rod 14. vRestoring springs 17, seated upon the upper-.edges of the rear lever arms 12, force the key levers A downwardly onto the pivot rod 14, at the same time forcing their rear portions onto a stop member 18 which lies below the impression member 13. The springs 17 cooperatewith the retaining bar 16 to prel vent the key levers from being accidentally disengaged from, or released from, the pivot rod 14.

When a key is depressed, the lever to which it is secured turns about the axis of the pivot rod 14 and the impression member 13, at the rearvof the lever, moves upv wardly to force the strip of paper 1 and the inking ribbon 7 toward the type 8, thereby printing one of the characters on the paper. rIhe keys maybe operated independently of each other to print individual characters, or

severa-l keys may be depressed simultaneas is well understood in this art. During each key operation a universal bar 19 is actuated to transmit movement to a paper feeding device.

The universal bar 19 is seated upon the upper edges of the lever arms, or printing hammers 12, which extend rearwardly from the pivot 14. Arms 20 arranged at opposite sides yof the printing hamme s 12 connect the universal bar 19 to the pivot rod 14. A

feed arm 21, forming part of the universal bar structure, extends upwardly from one of the arms'20. 22' designates. a yrestoring spring connected to the arm 21, as shown in F ig.,1 l'Ihe universal bar 19 is located in front of and adjacent to the impression members 13, and the latter extend upwardly, preferably to a plane' higher than the upper portion of the bar 19. The restoring spring 22 rforces the universal bar 19 downwardly onto the' upperi edges of the printing hammers 12 Impression` below the'type bar 9. All ofthe key levers in such a manner that it' coperates with the retaining bar y1& 3 andsprings '17 ,to retain the key levers 1n engagement with the l*rear portions of the key levers lie between the universal bar 19 and pivot rod 14. .It

located near the rear of the machine.

will be apparent that the simple key levers may be very easily and quickly applied to the yuniversal bar. and pivot rod, and when arranged as herein shown all of these elements are securely fastened to the machine.

The key levers, including their printing hammers 12, which extend rearwardly from the pivot rod 14, are very firmly guided and braced or reinforced by a key lever guide This guide comprises a base member 28, a series of comb teeth 24 extending upwardly from said ,base member at a point in front of the pivot rod 14 and arranged between the front lever arms 10; a series of comb -teeth 25v extending upwardly from-the base member at the rear of pivot rod 14 and arranged l between the -printing hammers 12, and a third series of comb teeth 26 which lie between the rear portions of the printing hammers 12. The rows of comb teeth-24 and v 25 are separated from each other to receive the pivot rod 15, and these teeth very firmly brace the loosely mounted key levers at points near the pivot rod 14. The printing hammers are positively alined and most effectively braced by the comb teeth 26 which lie near the impression members 13 at the rear ends of said printing hammers. By bracing the printing hammers in this manner the entire key lever structure is held in the desired firm or rigid condition and all of the printing hammers are firmly held in accurate alinement ywith the type.

r1`he arms 20 of the universal bar are arranged in recesses 20', formed in the key lever guide to provide means for bracing and guiding the universal bar. The retaining bar 16, .extending across the upper edges of the key levers, is preferably secured to the key lever guide as shown in Fig. III. The stop member 18, below the rear ends of the key levers, is preferably a pad secured to the base 23.

The paper feeding means includes a, feeding device arranged within one end of the feed roll 4, and a retaining device arranged in the other end to prevent retrograde movement. The upper end of the universal-bar arm 2 1 is notched to receive a pin 27 (Figs. IV and V) projecting from a drive member 28 iii one end'of the paper feeding roll 4. This/drive member 28 is loose1y,1nounted in the roll '4- and it oscillates freely response. to movement of the universal bar. When thedrive member moves in the direction indicated bythe arrow in Fig. -V, the small rollers 29 are firmly-clamped in the tapering or wedge-shaped spaces between said drivev member 28 and the roll 4, and movement is then transmitted from Athe universal bar, through drive member 28 and rollers 29, to the feed roll 4. During the re-.

i (Figs. IV and VI) is arranged within the paper feedin roll 4, and secured to a s tationary siderame 30 by a pin 31. Spring `pressed rollers 29 are arranged in the wedge-shaped spaces between the stationary retaining member 28 and the feed roll 4. These small -rollers 29 allow the feed roll to turn freely in the direction indicated by the arrows (Figs. V and VI),`butif an effort is made to reverse the direction of movement, the small rollers 29', tending to yroll towardy the points of the wedge-shaped spaces, will `coperate with the stationary retaining member 28 to prevent such retrograde movement.

I claim):

1. In a shorthand machine, printing elements including key levers, a pivotal sup-i port for said key levers, each of said key levers having a front lever arm which extends forwardly from said pivotal support and a rear lever arm extending rearwardly from said pivotal sup-port to constitute a printing hammer, each printin hammer having an upwardly extending impression member near its rear end, comb-like guide members arranged between said key levers at points near the pivotal support, comblike guide members arranged between said key levers at points near the upwardly extending impression members, a universal b-ar seated upon the upper edges of said printing hammers at points near their impression members and provided 'with a'pair of arms which extend forwardly to said pivotal support, and guide members fitted to the last mentioned arms. v

2. In a shorthand machine, printing elements including pivotaliy mounted keyl ing hammers at points near their impression members and also at points near the pivotal support, anstop member arranged below and form-ing'a seat for the rear ends Iof the aol esy

guide m'eirrbers arranged between the printf I printing hammers, a stop member arranged above and adapted to be engaged by the up per edgespof the front lever arms, springs arranged above the printing hammers to force the levers onto the stop members, and a. universal barseated upon the upper edges of said printing hammers at a point adjacent to and in front of their upwardly eX tending impression members.

3. In a short-hand machine, a pivot member, key levers arrangedabove said pivot member, the lower edge of each of said key levers being recessed to receive said pivot member and the face or wall of the recess being seated upon said pivotmember, each key lever comprising a front lever arm which extends forwardly from said pivot member and a.- rear lever arm extending rearwardly from said pivot memberto constitute a printing hammer, comb-like guide members arranged between said key levers at points near their recesses, said comb-like guide members being separated from each other to receive said pivot member, and com'blike guide members arranged between said key levers at points near the rear portions of their printing hammers.

4. ln a shorthand machine, a pivot member, key levers arranged above said pivot member, the lower edgeof each of saidvkey levers being recessed to receive said pivot member andthe face or'wall of the recess being seated upon said pivot member, each key lever comprising a front lever arm which extends forwardly from said pivot member and a rear lever arm extending rearwardly from said pivot member to constitute a printing hammer, comblike guide members arranged between the front arms of the key levers at points near their recesses, comb-like guide members arranged between the rear arms of the key levers at points near said recesses, said guide members between the front arms being separated from the guide members between the rear arms to provide a pivot receiving'space wherein said pivot member is mounted, and comb-like guide members arranged between the key levers at points near the rear portions 0f their printing hammers. ln testimony that l claim the foregoing I hereunto aix my signature.

WARD s. IRELAND. 

